The New Orleans Pelicans and their young core are having a very solid season. The Pelicans are currently 11th in the West and looking to climb up into a playoff spot. The main part of the Pelican’s success is due to the young core of Lonzo Ball, Brandom Ingram, and star Zion Williamson. This team has a ton of potential and it all starts with this young core.
Lonzo Ball
The Pelicans are having an incredible offensive season this year. Ranking 5th in the NBA in points per game, the Pelicans are averaging 115 points every game. This offensive success all starts with Lonzo Ball. After having a shaky start to his career, Lonzo has been able to improve his game drastically.
Playing guard, Lonzo has been known to be one of the best passers in the league. An aspect of his game that has improved is his three-point shooting. Many had questioned his shooting form when he entered the league, but he has been able to improve and it shows through his play.
Ball’s best quality is his basketball IQ. He may have the best IQ in the league as he always knows how to play, and when to make the right decisions. He is a quality guard and if he can stay healthy is a vital piece to the Pelicans’ offense.
Brandon Ingram
Another star from this Pelicans young core is forward Brandon Ingram. After being traded to New Orleans, Ingram felt he was disrespected, and has now proved many analysts wrong. This season, Ingram is averaging 24 ppg, and 34 pra per game. Even though we know Ingram is great, we can’t forget about All-Star, Zion Williamson.
Zion Williamson
After going through injuries, Zion Williamson has been able to stay healthy this year and showed us how good a healthy Zion is. On the Season, Zion is averaging over 25 ppg, and a 33 pra per game. Out of college, Zion was the most hype prospect since Lebron, and he has shown us why. He simply cannot be stopped. Whether it be his jumper, his incredible strength in the paint, or his athleticism at 6’7 285 pounds, he has shown how he is capable of being a star player in this league. Zion’s game has also elevated in big ways. When he joined the league, he was struggling at certain parts of his game like shooting whereas he was just using his body. It’s amazing to see how far he has come in just a few years of his young career.
Overall, this is a great Pelicans core. It has been tremendous so far, and who knows how good these three can get. The future is bright in New Orleans, and if they can get a few more pieces, there could be a championship in this city in the future.